Koch brothers’ new target: Latinos, young people

The political network backed by the Koch brothers is aiming to expand the Republicans’ reach this year and ahead of the 2016 presidential elections, targeting core Democratic groups: young people and Latinos.

The Koch’s will begin funneling money into two groups, The Libre Initiative, a Texas-based group with staff in eight states that works to convince Latinos that Obamacare and other Democratic policies will hurt them, and Generation Opportunity, a group that targets the under-34 crowd through social media and college groups.

The news, reported by the Washington Post, is another indication of how the Koch brothers intend to influence the next two elections, just as the billionaire brothers have become increasingly criticized by Democrats for their political influence.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has slammed the Koch brothers as “un-American” and accused them of trying to “buy America.”

The 2014 Koch strategy will include a new super PAC, in addition to beefing up the staff of the Koch network’s main group, Americans for Prosperity, which has doubled in size since the 2012 election.

The group’s midterm spending, which is expected to top $300 million, will also target veterans, which are seen as a particularly energetic voter base for conservatives in the wake of the news that the Department of Veterans Affairs had been keeping veterans on lengthy wait-lists for medical care and covering it up. A Koch-backed group, Concerned Veterans for America, is currently on a ten-city tour of concerts and political messaging.